Steps of Heaven
by Dr Fareeha
Summary: Elysium is where all demigods want to go when they die. But heroes, they never are satisfied with eternal peace. Once a soul arrives in Elysium, they can try for Rebirth, and if they're lucky enough, they'll achieve Elysium thrice, and advance to the Isles of the Blest. But that's practically a sick lottery game. For true heroes, the Steps of Heaven is their path to the Isles.
1. Chapter 1

**Steps of Heaven**

Dying isn't fun at all. Dying before your 13th birthday is even less so. If asked to take on the statue of Talos, the prototype statue of Talos, again, I would probably reconsider my options. Of course, my act of self-sacrifice and heroism did land me a spot in Elysium, but the steps leading up to it weren't in my Top Ten list of memorable experiences. Who am I? My name is Bianca di Angelo, daughter of Hades. Yes, Hades, as in the Greek God of the Underworld, the place where people go when they die. Interesting much? Yeah, I was pretty surprised when I found out myself.

I live in a world where Greek gods and monsters exist. You may also live in this world, but unless you're a demigod, you wouldn't be able to see half of the things that I do. The Mist covers the eyes of mortals, to separate our two worlds. To be honest, I'm envious of the mortals, who are oblivious to the raging conflicts that surround them. Though, not all of them are shielded by Lady Hecate's veil of Mist. A very small percentage of mortals have the rare ability to see through the Mist, and gaze upon the true forms of the monsters and magic surrounding their world. I can tell you that more than a fair share of these gifted individuals has ended up in mental hospitals for their "hallucinations". Why am I telling you this? My mother, Maria di Angelo, was one of these special mortals. Her beauty and clear-sightedness gained the attention of my father, Hades, and the two had me. Well, me and my brother Nico, who plays quite the part in my story as well.

Ok, back to me being dead. Charon, the escort of the deceased, didn't accept the drachmas I had stashed in my jacket in case… well, in case I died.  
"You're a daughter of my boss, free trip, and a bag of potato chips if you'd like." he said.  
"I'll take the free ride, but the chips, I'll pass."  
"Suit yourself." He popped open the bag and flung it towards the souls sitting in the lobby. Immediately, they began fighting over the moldy contents, eager to have their first meal in many years.  
Things got pretty uninteresting from that point, the River Styx churned with the filth of millennia, so I tried hard not to throw up whatever I had in me.

You might be wondering how I wasn't going nuts once I realized I was dead. However, what you don't know is that there is about an hour of floating around your body before you are transported to Charon's office. That time is Hades' gift to the deceased, to come to terms with their passing. Yeah, a pretty depressing one, but I was grateful for it.

"Lady di Angelo, it is an honor to meet you at last." From the shadows, a cloaked man appeared. When I saw him, I gasped. His face was even whiter than me and Nico, which is saying something, his black hair, nearly as messy as Percy's but much nicer looking, and his black eyes, gleaming with a look of… interest? At first glance, I could've sworn he was Eros.  
"May I ask who you are, sir?" My voice came out no louder than a whimper.  
The man grinned, and pulled out a silver scythe. "I am called Thanatos by some, Death by others."  
"Lord Thanatos, I apologize for my rudeness." I felt to my knees. As handsome as this god was, he was still a god, a rather nice-looking god, but a god nevertheless.  
"You may rise, Lady Bianca. We have much to discuss." he said. Without directly looking at his eyes, I slowly got up.  
"What is thy bidding, my lord?" Yeah, that's what I said. At Westover Hall, the boys would often sneak in DVD players and a couple movies to watch in the dorms. Sad to say, Star Wars was one of them.  
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA- Oh dear Lord Zeus that is hilarious!" Thanatos dropped his scythe and fell to the ground, grabbing his stomach and laughing like a maniac. Needless to say, I was embarrassed. Like, I-want-to-die-again embarrassed.

So I died, came to the Underworld, and made a fool of myself in front of the God of Death.

Worst. First. Day. Ever.

 **Hi, Dr Fareeha here with my first story on Fanfiction!  
I know this isn't your typical Percy Jackson story, but I hope you enjoy it nevertheless.  
From now on, I'm going to make my words-per-chapter minimum to around 1200, so expect longer chapters!  
Any ideas? Please review! I'll be posting the second chapter in a few hours, as it's still undergoing reviewing, but your opinions will definitely affect it!^^**

 **Stay awesome ~Doc Far**


	2. Chapter 2

**Steps of Heaven**

"Alright, so here's the deal. Your father, my boss, is Lord Hades."

"Yeah, I figured out that much myself. Lord Thanatos, why aren't I going to the judges?" I asked.

"You're already cleared for Elysium. If you want, I can escort you there right now. That is, if you refuse my offer." he said.

"Offer?"

"Yes, offer."

"Could you explain it to me, my lord?"

"Alright, but it's a long explanation, so you'd better listen carefully. I'd hate to repeat myself.

When Lord Hades first assumed control of the Underworld, he split the realm into 3 parts. Elysium, where those deemed to have lived their lives doing good were sent. Asphodel, where the indecisive souls were put together. And the Fields of Punishment, which you can probably guess what it, is.  
For a few centuries, this system worked quite well. Most souls went to Asphodel, but the baddies got their punishment, and the righteous received their reward. However, this all ended when Zeus decided to wipe out most of mankind through a massive flood, overflowing Asphodel and Punishment. Elysium also became quite large, though its increase in size was minor compared to the other domains.  
Eventually though, Hades decided that instead of renovating the Asphodel to fit the needs of the many, he would leave the land as barren and meaningless as possible, and focus on the happiness of those in Elysium. This eventually led to the creation of the Isles of the Blest, the ultimate reward for heroes.  
But, there were already millions of souls in Elysium, so choosing which among them would ascend to the Isles was a dilemma in itself. That, is when the 3-Times-Elysium program was introduced. Quite rudimentary, but a risk that many were willing to take. However, Rebirth isn't quite as awesome as one thinks. Of the millions that tried for Rebirth, only 4 of them managed to successfully reach the Isles of the Blest through this way. The rest… well Asphodel grew even more than it had already.  
Now, let's skip a few centuries. At this point, the human realm had flourished once again. Kingdoms popping up every now and then, heroes gaining fame and slaying legendary monsters, it was truly the Golden Age of Heroes. But no matter how accomplished, how skilled these heroes got, entrance to the Isles of the Blest was completely up to chance. Well, an Olympian council changed that. Athena came up with the idea for the Steps of Heaven, but ultimately it was Hades who refined the idea."

"Steps of Heaven? You mean there's another way to get to the Isles without risking Rebirth?"

"Yes, that's exactly it. Though, the Steps aren't exactly an easy way either. But, you'll learn more from your instructors when we get there."

"Wait, where? You haven't told me where we're going." Bianca said, her nervousness steadily growing.

"Ah, I forgot. I'm taking you to my palace. It's the reception area for the Steps of Heaven." Thanatos chuckled.

Bianca's eyes narrowed. "I never said I'd take the Steps. I'm perfectly fine with remaining in Elysium forever. Perhaps I might find my mother there."

"Your mother? Ah, Maria. No, she's not in Elysium, Hades made sure of that. She was pointed Lady of Higher Elysium, and currently resides in the Isles of the Blest."

"Higher Elysium?" Brushing up on my divine history suddenly became a priority.

Thanatos sighed. "Humans… How can you live with being so ignorant?"

"Sorry, please carry on."

"The Steps of Heaven goes like this: Elysium - Praeparatio - Higher Elysium - The Isles of the Blest - Higher Immortality. Each level had more benefits for the challenger, which is why so many take the challenge. Of course, if you happen to fail, your soul gets forced into Asphodel, or even the Fields of Punishment if you're unlucky."

"What's Higher Immortality? Is it like, a school club name or something?" Bianca managed a sly grin.

"It's exactly as it sounds like. The soul that reaches the highest level of the Steps of Heaven achieves godhood. With it comes domains, free health care, an invitation into the Skype chatroom of the gods... Etcetera etcetera."

"Woah, godhood? I said.

"Yes… godhood. So far, there is Heracles, Achilles, Asclepius, Hippolytus… and many more heroes that have become gods. It is the wish of Lord Hades, and me… for you to become a goddess. The goddess of death to take my place."

 **StepsOfHeavenStepsOfHeavenStepsOfHeavenStepsOfHeavenStepsOfHeavenStepsOfHeaven**

 _[? POV]_

It's been a millennia since I've laid eyes upon the sky.

Tartarus has been my home, my domain, my kingdom, but it has also been my prison.

Mother Chaos granted my wish at birth, for when I asked of her for control all of the monsters that plague this world; I had sentenced myself to the exile of the pit.

"Lord Tartarus… You have a visitor from the Overworld." One of my servants said.

"Bring them in, to the Great Hall." I said, coldly. It is never wise to treat your servants with any form of kindness, which in itself is a weakness that can be exposed. "Who is it?"

"My lord… she goes by the name of Gaea, and she is the primordial goddess of the earth."

I grinned. Family bonding time is always interesting.

 **StepsOfHeavenStepsOfHeavenStepsOfHeavenStepsOfHeavenStepsOfHeavenStepsOfHeaven**

 _[Bianca POV]_

I didn't want to like the tour of the Underworld, but it was just too amazing not to like it.

Thanatos was an interesting guide as well. Being a god, he basically knew all the gossip that had spread around the Underworld for thousands of years.

"This here is where the tortured soul of Tantalus fell to the Underworld when he returned from Camp Half-Blood. The Furies were quite happy to see him back, as they immediately dragged him to the Fields of Punishment for extra torture that he had missed out on during his time in the mortal realm.

That is where Lord Hades battled against the Titan Hyperion when a few of the titans that the gods had managed to capture during the first Titan War escaped from Tartarus. Hyperion was foolish to think that he could challenge a god in his own domain without the help of his brothers. It was probably the most fun Lord Hades had had in a long time. The Underworld is a stressful place, you know. Lady Persephone is all that my lord lives for, and even she is absent for most of the year."

I felt a pang of jealousy when I heard the name of my step-mother. I mean, I knew that most gods had immortal spouses, but the thought that Hades was married to a goddess while he was courting my mother was… sick.

"Percy told me that my father and Persephone weren't on very good terms when he was on his quest to find Zeus' master bolt. Are they… fighting?" I asked.

Thanatos coughed, seeming slightly nervous. "Err… Lady Persephone was always so kind… but whenever children of her husband pop up from around the world, she finds it as an insult and the two are at quarrel until either the demigods appeal to her, or… they die."

The Underworld was a scary place, but nothing felt colder than that statement. I was the offspring of an ancient god, and a mortal woman. But that god was married, happily married, to a beautiful goddess. And until I was either dead or a hero, she would loathe me and my father. Awesome, I know.

"Well, Lord Thanatos. We're here." We had arrived at the doors of the giant palace made of obsidian that loomed over Elysium. While I had heard legends of Hades' palace being extraordinary, nothing could have prepared me for the beauty of the Palace of Death. "Wow."

Death managed a laugh, his voice lightening the atmosphere. "You like it? When Lord Hades asked me if I was fine with passing on my mantle and duties to another, I immediately began renovation for my palace. Hot tubs? Check. Colosseum? Check. Roman slaves? Check. Though be careful, they don't seem to like Italians. As if on cue, one of the slaves who was pushing a lawnmower glared in my direction.

But a voice from behind us made us stop in our tracks. "Nice to meet you, daughter of Hades. A fine tribute for Kronos you will be."

 **Thanks for reading another chapter of Steps of Heaven!  
If there are any mistakes, grammar errors or plot holes, please do not hesitate to inform me!**

 **SimplyComplicatedProblems : Thanks for reviewing! Originality was one of my main reasons for wanting to publish a story like this. Bianca di Angelo has been one of my favorite characters since Book 3, her love for her brother and her awesome name being exceptionally interesting. And as for my grammar… I guess that's something I need to work on, of which I hope to steadily improve!**

 **Thanks for reading, please continue to Read and Review!**  
 **Stay Awesome ~Doc Far**


	3. Chapter 3

**Steps of Heaven**

"Nice to meet you, daughter of Hades. A fine tribute for Kronos you will be." A boy with sandy hair said.

Bianca had never personally met the man, but the stories she had heard from her sisters was enough for her to know that he was never good news. Plus the fact that he looked really good for being the evil servant of a Titan didn't help. No, it didn't help at all

"What do you want, Castellan?" She growled. Just then, she noticed that the demigod before him… let off an aura of strength that far surpassed any demigod that she knew. Even Percy, the son of Poseidon couldn't match with the strange power of Luke.

Thanatos' eyes widened "It's not possible… Why would Kronos risk the life of his most loyal follower?"

"Risk life? What do you mean, my lord?" Bianca asked.

"He means that I have bathed in the River Styx. I am now practically invincible, a hero as powerful as Achilles." Luke boasted, his eyes shining with what seemed to be feverous glee.

"Well, I'm sure we can find a way to kill you." Bianca drew an arrow from her magic quiver, and nocked it in a blink of an eye. The Hunter's blessing appeared to still take effect, though she was already dead.

Luke smiled "Go ahead, shoot me."

"Yeah, I wasn't going to ask for your permission." She released the arrow. It ripped through the stale air and with a sickening thud it landed right between the eyes of the son of Hermes.

And then it bounced right off, with Luke not even flinching. "Happy now?"

"Ho- how?"

"The Curse of Achilles. It not only boosts the combat skills of the hero, but also makes their skin so tough that it's basically impenetrable."

"You could've mentioned that earlier…"

"Yes, but I didn't." Thanatos said. Logical, couldn't think of anything that could go against it.

"Well, di Angelo. Have you had enough? Oh I'm sure if you had enough time, you could eventually kill me… but I wouldn't exactly allow you to, now would I?" Luke drew his blade. One edge gleamed of celestial bronze while the other had a glint of iron, maybe steel.

"You use it to kill mortals." She said.

Luke grinned, shrugging in a sadistic way. "Perhaps one or two of them fell on my sword."

"Enough." Thanatos drew Bianca closer to him. "Bianca is no longer of your world. She is now part of the realm of the dead." A black chain wrapped itself around Luke's neck, dragging him away from them.  
"I will erase all memories of this encounter from your mind. Begone." Luke vanished, the chain on the floor being the only sign that he had ever been there.

"Lord Thanatos. Gods cannot intervene into the affairs of mortals without breaking the Ancient Laws. What will that mean for you?" She asked. Just then she realized that Thanatos' face was slowly burning away. His chiseled nose and cheeks began to reek of acidic burns.

"Worry not, my dear. Curses such as these will heal, eventually. Now, go inside and ask for Lady Nemesis. She'll sign you up for the Steps of Heaven program." Thanatos shooed her away, clutching his face.

Bianca didn't want to leave, but she also didn't want to disobey a god's orders. Slowly walking away, she kept turning around for another look at the god of Death. When she was a fair distance away, Thanatos disappeared in a cloud of black smoke which smelled of burnt brownies. Interesting.

When she got to the doors, they suddenly opened automatically, as if they had minds of their own. She stepped in, squinting to adjust to the rather dark hallway.

"Steps of Heaven, girl?" A voice screeched. Bianca turned around to see an old lady sitting on her desk, breaking open fortune cookies. "Come over here, I'm Nemesis. The goddess of revenge, true balance, fake Chinese fortune cookies. I swear one day, I will catch Tyche in the act of spreading fortune to the millions!" She cackled.

"Err… Lady Nemesis?" The goddess looked up. Bianca flinched, when she saw the goddess had the face of Dr. Thorne. Yes, that was an interesting experience, hearing an old woman's voice from the face of a manticore. "I would like to take the Steps of Heaven, I would like to reach the Isles of the Blest by becoming a true hero." she said.

Nemesis sneered. "A true hero, HAH! Like I've seen any of them for decades. Well, you've gained the favor of quite a few gods, girl. I'll register your name into the list of today's applicants. Read these words out loud, and get out of here." She handed Bianca a sheet of paper, with red text scrawled onto it.

Bianca cleared her throat. "Ah, I have-"

Suddenly, something… something strange began to fill Bianca, a deity that possessed Bianca's body and spoke in a dry voice.

 _I have achieved Elysium, and now forsake it  
I will walk the earth as a mortal once more, my duty will drive me along my path  
Shall I fail, my punishment will be as what is required  
Should I succeed, my reward will be greater than expected  
I swear to abide by the rules of the dead, and no human should have cause to fear me lest provoked  
I take the Steps of Heaven as my cause, may Fate guide me_

With the final words being spoken, the spirit left her body. Bianca collapsed, feeling drained from having been possessed.

Nemesis looked amused.  
"You'll be fine, girl. That was the angel of Rebirth, a fickly little spirit that insists on inspecting all of the heroes that try for the Steps. It has enough of a workload already, transporting those who choose to be reborn. But, tradition is tradition I suppose." Nemesis scowled at the sparkling particles.

"Oh… My lady, before I go, may I ask a few questions?" Bianca asked. The effects of the possession were still somewhat lingering. She felt more… daring.

"Ugh, no?"

"…"

"…"

"Fine. What do you want to know?" Nemesis threw her arms up in mock despair.

"Why are you the receptionist? Aren't you supposed to…? I don't know; oversee someone's vengeance somewhere in the world?" Bianca asked.

Nemesis sighed. "Revenge doesn't require a goddess to look over it 24/7. I'm only needed whenever someone prays for my help, or someone commits a strong act of revenge."

"It must be boring, having an important domain such as yours but not being able to properly enforce it."  
Bianca gave her best smile while Nemesis had a look on her face which appeared… dazed?

"You're right. Revenge **is** a very important domain! Most of the events in history have occurred thanks to Revenge!" Nemesis rose from her seat, suddenly excited.

"Well, Lady Nemesis… If I make it to the Isles of the Blest, I'll be sure to spread your importance and have everyone there acknowledge the severity of the great goddess known as Nemesis! All will tremble at your feet, doubting their self-worth. Maybe even a shrine or two, of course a feast now and then would be needed…"

"Yes… a feast… shrines would be great…" Nemesis began to drool at the prospect. Bianca could've sworn that the goddess was in tears. "I- I've never had a proper feast in my name before…"

Bianca felt slightly apologetic for mercilessly picking at the goddess of revenge's sore spot, but her plan was going on well. After all, who wouldn't want a goddess on their side when they were about to go on a dangerous mission that could as well kill them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Steps of Heaven**

 _(Last Time)  
"Well, Lady Nemesis… If I make it to the Isles of the Blest, I'll be sure to spread your importance and have everyone there acknowledge the severity of the great goddess known as Nemesis! All will tremble at your feet, doubting their self-worth. Maybe even a shrine or two, of course a feast now and then would be needed…"_

" _Yes… a feast… shrines would be great…" Nemesis began to drool at the prospect. Bianca could've sworn that the goddess was in tears. "I- I've never had a proper feast in my name before…"_

 _Bianca felt slightly apologetic for mercilessly picking at the goddess of revenge's sore spot, but her plan was going on well. After all, who wouldn't want a goddess on their side when they were about to go on a dangerous mission that could as well kill them._

[1 month later]

For being dead, Bianca never felt so alive. Not exactly a good thing when more alive meant more exhausted.

The "training" for the Steps of Heaven was basically just a run through of the various kinds of missions that they were required to do. Surprisingly, the heroes that were accidently killed during the mock quests spilled ichor instead of blood- but still faded away to nothing.

Bianca had to really work her body's limit in order to survive. The capture-the-flag simulation with the Minotaur and hydras was her closest call to death so far. A narrow dodge from the hydra's acid and a quick arrow into its heart was what saved her.

Thanatos hadn't visited her for a few days now. Each time he came to see her, he taught her a little more about how the Underworld was run, and helped her develop her demigod powers. While at first she could only summon bones and buried relics, her strength grew to the point where she could summon a half dozen her own skeletal soldiers and equip them with fairly adequate weapons. Iron or steel swords were what usually appeared, but if she concentrated enough, she could occasionally summon a Celestial Bronze weapon. Once, she managed to summon a dagger made of a strange, enchanted gold which she pocketed. Nemesis had also visited, sometimes to simply chat, but she informed Bianca on what was going on in the surface world.

During the time she trained, she learned that Nico had found out about their parentage. It shocked her to see him immediately summon the skeleton soldiers that she took so long to even attempt. Percy's face looked dark, as if he had missed several nights of sleep to muster the nerve to tell him of Bianca's death. Bianca was worried for her brother, as Nico being a son of Hades would make him a valuable target for abduction… Not to mention his desertion from the camp, which set him away from the most reliable help he could have access to.

 _"It's fine. Lord Hades will not allow his only living so- child, die from a petty monster. While he cannot interfere directly, he has ordered for Nico to have protection while he is on his own."_ Thanatos had assured her.

Those were the last words that he spoken the last time they had met. With no news on the god of Death, and of her brother, Bianca's nerves were painfully convulsing.

But she couldn't let her guard down for anything. Already, 7 of their 23 heroes had fallen. The only good news was that the training period would last for only another 2 days. Then, those who survived would be promoted to the stage of Praeparatio, and be assigned their first quests.

Just then, a voice boomed from the intercom.  
"ATTENTION, HEROES OF THE STEPS Of HEAVEN! COME TO THE FRONT OF LORD THANATOS' PALACE IN UNDER 3 MINUTES IF YOU WISH TO LIVE!"

Uh-oh. Bianca remembered the last time that they were rallied. The poor boy who was about 3 seconds late had made a rather nice looking bat, but she wouldn't share the same fate if she could.

 **StepsOfHeavenStepsOfHeavenStepsOfHeavenStepsOfHeavenStepsOfHeavenStepsOfHeaven**

[1 day later]

Catastrophe. If asked to explain what had happened yesterday, she would have summarized it with one word, catastrophe.

 _[FLASHBACK]_

 _When all the heroes had made ranks in front of the doors, 7 golden laurel wreaths fell from the sky at their feet. Along with the wreaths, an assortment of weapons materialized in a circle around them. It was like a reverse Hunger Games setup, with all the contestants in the middle and the supplies surrounding them._

 _"Heroes! Now is the time to truly prove your worth, if you are indeed the one to take the Steps of Heaven and ascend to greatness! The remaining seven heroes who manage to claim the wreaths will graduate from training and begin their stage of_ _Praeparatio!" the voice boomed._

 _It wasn't an understatement to say that all Hades broke loose. Bianca immediately ran for a crossbow, grabbing it along with a about a dozen darts. Unfortunately, she did not know how to shoot a crossbow.  
A boy who looked to be about 18 ran for Bianca with his arms outstretched. Bianca could sense that he was very strong, perhaps a child of a war god, so she jumped to the side, fumbling with the crossbow.  
Eventually, she managed to load a dart properly, and so she aimed it towards the boy's head and released.  
_ **Fwoomp!**  
 _In an explosion of golden dust, the boy vanished. Bianca was sorry for having to do that, but she couldn't let anyone else get in her way. She wasn't ready to just end life, without seeing her mother again, without being with her little brother again._

 _She quickly reloaded her crossbow and tackled a girl who was fishing a wreath out from a pile of daggers. Pressing her knee against the girl's chest, she quickly disintegrated her with the weapon.  
With the wreath on her arm, she looked around for more enemies. In her peripheral vision, she spotted a boy running towards her._

 _"Woah, easy there." A boy who had the looks of a son of Apollo screeched to a stop. He was holding a golden bow, which gleamed of magical energy and the smell of baby wipes. Without any arrows, he wasn't in a position to shoot Bianca, but he looked determined enough to strangle her with the lead stringing if necessary. "Put that down, I don't wanna have to hurt you." He said, slowly approaching her._

 _Bianca didn't have enough time to reload. She tossed the crossbow over her shoulder and drew the golden knife from her belt. She hated using blades, but it seemed to be her only choice._

 _The boy lunged for her, twisting the bow so that it would catch onto her neck. Bianca slashed upwards, nicking the boy's left arm, but was caught by the bowstring. Luckily, she managed to grab onto the lead cord, but had to drop her knife in the process. The boy howled in pain, his forearm spilling ichor. But he pulled onto the bow tightly, determined to take out the daughter of Hades._

 _Bianca struggled to free herself from the bow, but without being able to breathe properly, she was seeing black spots and was red faced from exhaustion. "N- no..." She croaked._

 _The boy bashed her on the head with his elbow. Bianca sagged to the floor, her hands falling to her sides. No longer could she feel the bowstring tightening around her neck, she could sense her life force dimming to the point of almost non-existence…_

 _"No." She said, pouring the remainder of her strength into her words. "You will not touch me."_

 _The boy sneered- and immediately fell backwards as if he had been shoved. His expression morphed into one of fear, mixed with the worry of what would happen to him. "Wha- what's going on?"_

 _"Silence. The deceased shall not open his mouth until the daughter of Lord Hades, god of the Underworld allows him to." The boy's mouth clamped shut, forcefully muting his cries of protest._

 _"You are yet to truly climb the Steps of Heaven, spirit. The Underworld has power over you yet." Bianca shouted, her neck slowly mending with each word._

 _With horror, the boy realized that the more control Bianca had over her, the faster she healed, draining his life force by the second. He scrambled to his knees, tossing aside his bow and hurriedly bowing before her._

 _Bianca smiled, her eyes having lost the tenderness of her character, turning into pure black as she channeled more power into her voice. "Serve me, and I shall bring you to the Isles myself. This, I swear upon the River Styx." Her voice boomed, gaining the attention of the other heroes who were in the midst of battle._

 _The boy nodded, tears in his eyes._

 _"What is your name…?" Bianca asked. With a flick of her wrist, she released the bonds on the boy's mouth._

 _"My name is Daniel Solace, my lady…" He sputtered._

 _Bianca smiled, her eyes returning to their normal color. "I see… Guard me." She said as she collapsed._

 _[FLASHBACK END]_

Bianca sipped her tea, savoring the rich taste and the calming scent. Daniel was making arrowheads out of the silver and iron knifes that Bianca fished from the ground. As her powers were getting progressively stronger, the effort was almost nothing.

"Well, it seems someone has been busy." A voice chuckled.

Daniel flipped out his golden bow from his bracelet, notching one of the iron arrows he had made.

In the corner, Thanatos looked at the two demigods, amused at what he was seeing. "Bianca, my dear. I know you're anxious to become an immortal, but having a servant already? That's quite fast, even for a god."

Bianca managed a small grin, not quite reaching the eyes. She remembered enslaving Daniel the day before, but wasn't quite comfortable with it. "Is it time for my first mission, my lord?" she asked.

"Indeed." Thanatos pulled out a letter from his suit. The envelope was jet black, with an adorable puppy sticker on it to seal the contents. "It is custom for the parent of the hero to assign the first mission. This is from Lord Hades, your father." He handed it to Bianca.

Bianca studied the texture of the envelope, the sleek design quite suited the King of the Dead.  
"Thank you, my lord." With her knife, she popped off the sticker, earning her a glare from the moving puppy (since when did it move?!). She unfolded the letter, once again admiring the smooth text.  
 _  
Bianca._

 _I know this is the first time that I have made contact with you since you and your brother left the Lotus Casino. I am sorry; I could not acknowledge your existence without infuriating my brothers. While I may not be able to directly confront you until you have ascended into Higher Elysium, know that I will always watch over you, I will always hear your prayers, and I will always try my hardest to aid you._

 _My mission for you, is one that you will rather like. I am sending you to the mortal world, to watch over Nico until the time come for him to seek the Labyrinth of Daedalus. As his powers grow, he will most likely attempt contact with you and your mother. I have prepared for this, so he will be greeted with an illusion of you that will give him guidance and warnings of what is to come. As for Maria… He is not yet powerful enough to summon a spirit that has been appointed the Head of Higher Elysium. The fake Bianca will warn him of this, but I've prepared a vision of what happened to your mother just in case._

 _Bianca, remember what I said. I will never forsake my children, though you may hate me. I am your father, I am the god of Death, but I never go back on my word._

**[Author's Note]  
Hi, Doc here with another chapter of Steps of Heaven!  
This is probably my longest chapter so far, but I'm finally getting to the missions, which are the backbone of this story. I hope that you'll stick with me a little bit longer, even though it may have been slightly boring at the beginning!^^;;**

 **SimplyComplicatedProblems: Thanks again for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far, I hope I can provide the content that the readers are wanting!**

 **Thanks for reading, please continue to Read and Review!**

 **Stay Awesome ~Doc Far**


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